Speculation started on social media on Tuesday following the arrival of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf convoys at Islamabad’s D-Chowk despite roadblocks and tear gas shelling, prompting some of them to believe “all of this is scripted.”

They expressed their view on X, erstwhile Twitter, while sharing their thoughts on social media platform.

Amidst this, X was back up in Pakistan after nine months of countrywide outage. A news outlet also confirmed it.

“Why things, since Saturday night, look too scripted to my insane mind,” journalist Nusrat Javed said. He has been vocal about the establishment’s alleged support for PTI and former prime minister Imran Khan’s performance.

Various videos of the protests also went viral on social media. One of them was PTI protesters climbing to a floor of shipping containers and hugging the security personnel deployed for duty.

“The army and the protesters have blended together,” journalist Abdul Jabbar said.

Such observations have fueled discussions online, with many questioning the authenticity of the protests and the interactions between the military and demonstrators.

A social media user, with username RAShahzadaddk, said: “The deal that was finalised, along with this scripted drama to add a layer of reality, has seen all characters perform their roles excellently. What are the details of this?”

He wondered where former prime minister Khan would go.

Dr Hisham Inam Marwat, a PML-N MPA from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wrote, “Something will happen soon that will surprise many. But the state acts with careful consideration. [authentic sources]”

Journalist Majid Nizami, who covers politics and the military, also shared his thoughts on political developments. Without naming any party, he related the protests with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan in 2017.

“Seven years ago, in the same week of November, the DG ISI (C) facilitated an agreement between the government and a party in Islamabad, which was noted as ‘mediated by Major General Faiz Hamid.’ Is there a possibility of a similar agreement this November, potentially noted as ‘mediated by Major General Faisal Naseer’?”

Another user named Mansoor Ahmed Qureshi countered, stating, “The situations were not scripted, nor is there any script. The situation has been mismanaged for sure. I hope the Ministry of Interior learns from these mistakes. As for Khan Sahib or Bushra Bibi, there will be no leniency.”

Journalist Umar Cheema did not agree with speculations related to the protest. “If the situation is unfolding according to a script, then it is a script of the government and establishment’s incompetence. People are not as capable as they are imagined to be.”

Moreover, journalist Azaz Syed took a cue from what Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said earlier in the day.

“Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has claimed that there is a hidden hand controlling all of this. This secret hand is behind the [protest] leaders, and these leaders are nothing in front of this hidden hand. Who do you think Mohsin Naqvi is implicitly blaming?”

Journalist Farhan Raza commented meaningfully, “Convoys are not brought to Islamabad’s D-Chowk by accident; this occurs when Rawalpindi decides whether to protect institutions or individuals. Do not mistake this for the November 1916 revolution.”

PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif also joined the debate on X. “The PTI has repeatedly proven that it is a trained terrorist group. For two days, they have been playing a bloody game in Punjab while reaching the capital. If policymakers and constitutional bodies had punished those responsible for the events of May 9/10, we wouldn’t be facing this situation today. These are not political workers; let the nation know where the pressure is coming from.”